Breaks
Breaks are elements that make music very interesting, but they are not often traditional. Traditional rhythms belong to a certain festival or celebration and are played hours or even days at a time, continuously.
Introductions and breaks were introduced for the ballet-style performances for an audience. Some teachers will include breaks in their workshop presentation of a rhythm too. I've looked around for breaks on internet but there are few available. Especially for beginners, breaks are a very welcome addition to the often simple and slow rhythms which a beginner can play. In all cases the teacher can play a call after the break in order to start the group on time again, if continuing after the break is still too difficult.
Below I present some breaks. Enjoy!
Group and solo player call and response break
I created this break for a beginners group. The challenge is to count properly and start and stop on time. The solo player will play a call across the current rhythm. The group answers, the solo player plays a solo pattern, the group answers, and finally the solo player will give a call variation, after which the original rhythm continues again.
Solo call
4f.tt4.t.t4t.ss4s...
Group
4ttb.4ttb.4ttb.4ttb.
Solo
4.f.t=i4ttt.4.f.t=i4ttt.
Group
4ttb.4ttb.4ttb.4ttb.
Solo call
4.f.t4t..t4t.ss4s...
Group uni sono break with triplets
This break I learned from Sambamobil at the Leiden drum circle. The challenge is to get the bass triplets on the second line exact. The rhythm continues immediately after the last flam.
Solo call
4f.tt4.t.t4t.ss4s...
Group
4f...4b $b b4b $b b4b $b b
4b.f.4b.b.4f.b.4b.f.
Kuku uni sono break
This break I learned from Eva Leerdam as part of the Kuku. The challenge is not to lose track of the beat during the off-beat sections. The trick to accomplish this is to hear the red dot as a first beat. A call may precede the break if there is no fixed agreement on when the break is to be played.
Solo call
4f.tt4.t.t4t.ss4s...
Group
4f.f.4..f.4f...4f..b
4b.bb4.bb.4bb.b4b...
Short sabar-like break
This break sounds like sabar music. The challenge is to play slap flams without a pause after it.
Solo call
4f.tt4.t.t4t.ss4s...
Group
4fss.4..fs4s...4fss.
Drum circle break
In a drum circle it is difficult to introduce complicated breaks. Here is a simple break that most people will get the first time, and everyone will get the second time.
Instruct a few people to continue to play, for example a shaker, or the doundoun section. Stop the group. Use sign language to indicate you want 1 "bang". Count down, play. Then try 2, 3, 4. When you've done the individual ones, paste them together in time and use the pause after the final 4 to shout "Everyone play!" to continue the rhythm.
Drum circle break
4f...4....4....4....
4f...4f...4....4....
4f...4f...4f...4....
4f...4f...4f...4f...
The rhythm can continue right after the 4 flams, or after 2 bars of pause.